“Once the lighthouse is seen the rest of the sea is ignored”.
Terri
Guillemets
After
driving off the Ocracoke – Hatteras Ferry, after an hour ferry ride
from the hurricane torn island of Ocracoke, we started driving north
up the Outer Banks. Driving on Hatteras Island, we saw that
Hatteras was also damaged. The dunes had suffered greatly from
hurricane Dorian that had occurred on September 6, 2019 as a category
one storm.
It
appeared most of the dunes were damaged and many had been washed
totally away. Road work was being done to elevate the road in some
sections for future storms. The sand covered roads from the
flooding had been cleared but there were now piles of sand on each
side of the road. As the cars drove by, it almost looked like mist
in the air but it actually was the sand being disturbed by the
passing vehicles. Many homes and businesses had been damaged. We
saw missing shingles and damaged roofs from the wind gusts that
occurred during the storm of up to 100 mph. The storm surge of
between four and seven feet of water rushed over the streets and
flooded many places doing severe damage. How terrifying it must have
been for those who stayed behind during the storm.
Much
of the road was straight and all you could see was sand piles on
either side of the road. In a way it felt as if we were driving
through a tunnel. We saw the sign and pulled into Cape Hatteras
National Seashore which covers over 70 miles and is managed by the
National Park Service. We spotted the black and white candy cane
striped lighthouse which is one of the most recognized lighthouses
ever and one of my favorites.
Standing
under the famous lighthouse looking up, you could really feel the
full magnitude of how tall it really is. This is the tallest brick
lighthouses in the US and the second tallest brick lighthouse in the
world standing at 210 feet tall. It was built with 1,250,00 bricks
and on the waters edge.
The
initial lighthouse was only 90 feet high and authorized in 1794 when
Congress gave them $44,000 to build it and was completed in 1803.
The lighthouse was built to protect mariners from the most hazardous
section of the Atlantic coast, the Diamond Shoals off Cape Hatteras.
The
Diamond Shoals are extremely dangerous underwater sandbars that are
constantly shifting and extend for miles. They are hidden underwater
and are said to have been the cause for over 600 shipwrecks in the
waters off the coast of the Outer Banks. Also the colder water of
the Labrador Current meet the warmer ocean water which creates
powerful storms and sea swells. This area is known as the “Graveyard
of the Atlantic”. It became apparent that this lighthouse wasn’t
doing the mariners any good since it wasn’t high enough. In 1853,
they added another 60 feet to the lighthouse but severe storms
damaged it and it was cracking and so they scrapped it and started
new.
Congress
agreed to give the US Lighthouse Board $80,000 to build a new
lighthouse in 1868 which was built in just under two years at a cost
of $167,000. They improved the light to a rotating beacon that has
an 800,000 candlepower with two 1000 watt lamps that flashes every
7.5 seconds and can now be seen for 24 nautical miles.
Walking
around the grounds looking at this stunning lighthouse with the red
ornate pedestal, was spectacular. The sky was a clear blue which
made the lighthouse pop even more. There wasn’t many people there
that day so we had a great day for pictures. The double light house
keepers home was set back and looked lovely up against the woods.
The house is now a museum and a store.
Neither were open as it was off season. Over the past 130 years
there have been 82 known lighthouse keepers who kept that light
shining.
It
was determined after years of research, the lighthouse had to be
moved because of erosion. It got to a point they were afraid the
ocean would encroach and damage the structure so it was something
that had to be done. In 1999, the moved the lighthouse 2,900 feet
away from the ocean to its new and present home and put in place on
July 9. It took them 23 days to move the lighthouse and while you
are there, you can see the path it took. What an amazing feat and
all done with very minimum damage.
The
original stones from the foundation have been moved to closer to the
current site. They placed them to form the Keepers of the Light
Amphitheater where you can sit and watch the light just as the
lighthouse keepers did years ago.
Unfortunately,
the lighthouse wasn’t open when we visited to climb up that day.
It is open from April to Columbus Day in October to climb from 9 –
4:30. There are 257 steps to climb and to give you an idea of how
tall that actually is; it is like climbing a 12 story building. It
cost $8 for adults, and $4 for seniors over 62 and children. They
sell the tickets on a first come first serve basis.
This
most recognized lighthouse in the states and receives over 175,000
visitors a year. It is no wonder. It is magnificent and a site
you must see. Go visit and spend some time exploring the area. It
is beautiful. Till next time. Bye for now.
“Lighthouses
are not just stone, brick, metal, and glass. There’s a human story
at every lighthouse; that’s the story I want to tell”.
Elinor
DeWire
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